203 
THE Q A R DENI NO WORL D. 
March 5. 1904. 
Departmental Committee on Frtjit Culture. —The Depart¬ 
ments] Committee on Fruit Culture appointed by Lord Onslow 
held sittings on the 24th and 25th ult. The following members 
were present:—Mr. Boscawen, M.P. (chairman), Colonel Long, 
M.P., Mr. C. AY. Radcliffe-Cooke, Mr. Hodge, Mr. Monro, Dr, 
Somerville, Mr. P. Spencer Pickering, the Rev. AV. AVilks, and 
Mr. Ernest Garnsey, secretary. Evidence on behalf of the Board 
of Agriculture and Fisheries was given by Mr. Rew, of the 
Statistical Department, Mr. Brocke-Hunt, of the Educational 
Department, and Sir AY. T. Thiselton-Dyer, Director of the 
Royal Gardens, Kew. Evidence on horticultural instructors 
for County Councils was given by Mr. Luckhurst, Derby, Mr. 
Goaring, Sussex, and Mr. Ettle, Somerset. 
* •* * 
Alterations in Hyde Park.— The site of the new range of 
glasshouses, pits, and frames for the rearing of bedding-plants 
in Hyde Park has now been completely surrounded by a high 
bank of earth, sloping at both sides and planted with trees. 
As we remarked on a former occasion, the houses for this pur¬ 
pose that stood for so many years in Kensington Gardens had 
become rather dilapidated, and were otherwise considered tq 
interfere with and spoil the architectural effect of the Palace 
and of AVren’s Orangery. The site selected for the new range 
lies not far from the Serpentine, and on its northern bank. 
Tall trees are employed to a certain extent, and beneath these, 
again, shrubs of varying height, both evergreen and deciduous, 
so that the range will be invisible from the Park, and there¬ 
fore, instead of being an eyesore, will appear like a fine mound 
of trees and shrubbery. The ground occupied will be about 
three acres, similar in extent to that in Kensington Gardens. 
AVhen the houses have been completely demolished in the latter, 
this area will be laid out as an ornamental garden. The pro¬ 
moters of this believe that both Kensington Gardens and Hyde 
Park will gain in picturesque effect by the rearrangement. 
* * * ‘ 
Potatos, Rise in Price.— The other week, during February, 
Potatos rose 10s. a ton in the course of a week, and so many 
tons were imported that the foreigner is believed to have reaped 
an extra profit of £12,000. Most of these Potatos come from 
Germany and France. They are now £1 a ton dearer than, 
they were last year about this time, and we are said to import 
1,000,000 bags a week. It is said that the cultivation of the 
tuber is declining in England. Last year alone 10,000 acres 
were dropped over the previous year, representing a decreased 
harvest of 60,000 tons, or 1,200,000 bags. It seems to us that 
the best land is selected in order to harvest an unusually heavy 
crop, which may answer very well during favourable years, but 
in wet seasons they are so liable to be destroyed by 
disease that we are not surprised that farmers on such 
land are getting disheartened. There is, however, much land 
of a more suitable character for Potatos in the country, and, 
if Potatos pay the foreigner, surely they can be made to pay 
at home. 
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 
The Editor invites enquiries for reply in this column. These 
enquiries may cover any branch of gardening. Questions should be 
put as briefly os possible, and written on one side of the paper only ; 
a se] arate sheet of paper should be used for each question. 
Renders are also invited to give their fellow gardeners the benefit 
o+ their experience by sending supplementary replies. 
Replies eannot be sent by post, even if a stamped, addressed 
envelope is enclosed, and the return of specimens cannot be undertaken. 
Anonymous communications are treated in the usual editorial manner. 
Address letters: The Editor, “The Gardening World.” 37 and 
38, Shoe Lane, London, E.C. 
Pansy and Viola. 
Could any of the readers of the “ G. AV.” explain the difference 
between a Pansy and a Viola? (J. AV. Tyrrell.) 
If we were to accept as Violas all the varieties that are sent 
out under that name there would be no difference between a 
Pansy and a Viola, as the interval between them has now been 
long bridged over. Many of the modern race are indeed only 
Pansies under a, different name, A Viola, when the name was 
originally given to a certain class of bedding plants belonging 
to the genus Viola, had oblong flowers ; that is, the flower "was 
rather longer than broad. It also had a long slender spur 
similar to that of V. cornuta or V. lutea. There were also 
differences in the foliage, but more particularly in the small 
leafy organs at the base of the leaves proper, and known as 
stipules. These were shorter than those of the Pansy proper. 
The Pansy, to begin with, should have a circular flower, as 
round as the compass could make it. It had other distinctions 
according as it belonged to the show or fancy Pansy, hut these 
related to the distribution of colours. The flower also had a 
relatively short and usually flattened spur. The plant was not 
inclined to throw up suckers from the base, being of an annual 
character, and therefore the cultivator often had to propagate 
the plant early to avoid losing it. On the other hand, °the 
Violas, to be of service for bedding and continuous flowering, 
were in the habit of throwing up numerous suckers from the 
base, as in the original V., cornuta. If you take the trouble 
to examine any extensive collection of Violas at the present 
day you will find that these differences have all been brid°-ed 
oyer by one or other of the varieties, so that no hard-and-fast 
lino can be laid down between them. To be of service for bed¬ 
ding purposes, however, Violas, so called, must throw up shoots 
freely from the base of the plants, and flower more or less con¬ 
tinuously all the summer. AVe have answered this question 
but, any other who thinks he can answer it better is invited to 
Plague of Slugs. 
the continued wet weather has caused the slugs to become a 
perfect pest m the garden here, and they are devouring even 
(au1 1 flowers under handlights. Can you advise any remedy be 
sides hme and soot ? (T. A. Read.) ^ 
Sifted coal ashes, might be used to form a ring round Cauli¬ 
flower plants under handlights. These may come close up to the 
stem ot the plants, and the cleaner and sharper it is the better 
as shigs 1 dislike crawling over coal ashes. Then you can also, use 
little heaps of bran, and also, fresh Cabbage' leaves, which will 
attract the slugs, and give you) an opportunity of catching them, 
home people use tin or zinc collars with very good effect. The 
plan is to get strips of either of these materials about 6 in. 
wiclej and bend them so 1 as to form ring or cylinder. This is 
put over the plants, pushing it edgeways into the soil and thus 
preventing slugs from climbing over and getting at the plants. 
Destroying Fog or Moss on Grass. 
AVould you be so good as to inform me of the best means of 
destroying fog or moss on a howling green without iniurino- the 
grass? (O. Craig.) ° 
I h ere are several points to be considered when about to under¬ 
take the clearing of moss from grass land. One'is that it takes 
a soil of a particular 1 character to grow moss well, and the, 
agencies that usually favour moss are those that disfavour the" 
growth of grass. In some cases over-shading with trees would 
be one of these causes, and bad drainage of the land would be 
another. Provided these two do not affect the case, then it is 
a. question of making the grass grow, so as to occupy the ground 
with useful grasses instead of the useless mosses. AVe should 
fust of all rake the land over with an iron-toed rake, so as to 
displace as much of the nroissi as possible^ this being swept up 
and taken off the land. A good top-dressing of hme during 
the present month would also be of great advantage. A top¬ 
dressing of some good or even well-decayed cow manure at the 
same time would be of first-class importance. It would have 
been highly advantageous if you had commenced this work in 
January instead of now, because it- would have given, the top¬ 
dressing time to settle down and become incorporated with the 
soil at the roots of the grasses. It is not- t-oo- late yet, however, 
to- give a good top-dressing of some rich soil in which there is 
incorporated decayed manure of some sort, such as would benefit 
the land generally. After the top-dressing has lain on tlie Ian:! 
for some time it -should be raked with a wo-oden rake or some¬ 
thing that will scatter it up finely, and in the course of -a week 
or two the rain will have washed the material mostly in about 
the roots of the grass. Tf 'there are large-stones amongst it there 
would have to- be raked oft. The small ones will altogether dis¬ 
appear after the roller lias been put over the land a. time or 
two-. In the month -of April a light dressing of nitrate of soda _ 
would he beneficial in giving -a, stimulus to the -grass, and another 
one in June would also- be an advantage. If there are any bare 
patches- on the land seeds should be sown, as soon as the top- 
dressing has been properly levelled, and before the roller has 
been put over it. 
Residual Gas-Water and Worms. 
Oan you please state in wliat proportion residual gas water 
should be used on a green for destroying worms? (C. G.) 
Ammo-niacal liquor obtained from the- purification of gas may 
be used by diluting it six times its bulk of water from a river 
or stream. It is generally considered to answer the purpes? 
of dr i viout worms more effectually than lime water, but it 
must not be forgotten that it is liable to burn the grass or turn 
